“Snowdrop” Writer Faces Backlash For Allegedly Taking Character Inspiration From A Falsely Tortured Korean Musician Yun Isang

K-Drama Snowdrop has only aired 2 episodes as of December 19, 2021, but the drama is already facing immense backlash. The writer in particular, Yoo Hyun Mi, is being criticized for her inept inspirations for her characters.

Previously, Yoo Hyun Mi had already faced criticism for naming her female lead Young Cho. Young Cho is in no means a common female name in South Korea, even in the era Snowdrop was set in. However, there was one huge historical figure named Young Cho during the era of the Democratic Movements in South Korea. South Koreans did not take kindly to this, be it a coincidence or planned. This was as Young Cho was a real person that fought hard for the democratic movement. Not only this, her husband was also a participant in the movement who was tortured to death under false accusations of being a spy. Ironically in Snowdrop, the male lead is an actual spy and hides under the guise of being a student protestor that supports the democratic movement. Naturally, South Koreans thought that it was cruel and immoral to blemish her name as such. Eventually, the female lead’s name was changed to Young Ro.

The real Young Cho. | Segye Ilbo

However, when the first two episodes were released, South Koreans realized there was one more character set-up that was too uncanny to have been a coincidence. Although Yoo Hyun Mi herself has not confirmed any inspirations based on real life characters, viewers drew links between South Korean musician and genius composer, Yun Isang, and the male lead’s father. In episode 2, it was explained that the male lead’s father was a famous musician in Berlin and hence, the male lead was slated to study abroad in Berlin as well. The male lead’s father was written as a medal winner who faced oppression and was unable to return back to Korea. The male lead, who grew up in Germany, returned to South Korea on his own.

| jtbc

In real life, Yun Isang won the Goethe medal and multiple other music awards only to be banned from entering South Korea. He had no choice but to travel back and forth between North Korea and Germany instead. Although he had settled with his family in Berlin, he was falsely accused of espionage and was kidnapped by the South Korean secret service in 1967. This was a period of time where many Korean-German students were falsely accused of being spies as well. Yun Isang was tortured and forced to confess and eventually imprisoned. Many artists signed a petition worldwide for his release. From 1973, he participated in the call for democratization of South Korea.

Yun Isang | Chosun

Netizens are serving Yoo Hyun Mi with backlash for her choice in character set-up. They are calling the coincidences too uncanny and have accused the writer of specifically using real-life figures that were falsely tortured as spies for her drama which involves real spies masquerading as democratic party supporters.

• “The writer’s thoughts…”
• “The writer’s intentions are disgusting.”
• “She’s so sly that I’m getting goosebumps.”
• “It’s not just one or two characters that she’s able to claim it as a coincidence. heUntil when will s try to cover the sky with her palm? (trying to hide something in vain)”
• “This is getting scary.”
• “The writer is a f*cking crazy bitch… what is she doing exactly?”
• “The writer truly planned this.”

South Koreans have also uncovered that the writer herself attended Ewha Women’s University and tenured in Gwangju as a professor. This was a disappointment to many as Ewha was where many student protests for the democratic movement took place and was also one of the only womens’ universities in South Korea back then. Many South Koreans brought up parallels between Hosu Women’s University in the drama and Ewha as its inspiration. Similarly, Gwangju was where one of the most horrific massacres against democratic movement supporters took place. Yoo Hyun Mi’s links to both places were severely criticized as there was no way she would not know of the depths of the incidents that took place.

All eyes are on the drama now for the upcoming episodes. Stay tuned for more information about Snowdrop.